Sunday
16th May 2021
For example, Germany's primetime TV news reported that 47 percent of political social media discussions were related to the extreme-right AfD party, when in fact this was the case only for Twitter - used by only four percent of Germans.
The success of the new general data protection regulation (GDPR) will depend on whether data protection authorities enforce the new rules - which, in turn, will be at least partly determined by how many people they employ.
The EU starts enforcing its general data protection regulation on 25 May - but Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania and Slovenia won't be ready. The delay will cause legal uncertainty.
The European Commission's new strategy on artificial intelligence contains nothing that resembles French president's idea for a US-inspired agency for disruptive innovation.
The European Union's fund for free wireless internet connection hotspots is most popular in Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Malta, Slovenia and Romania. Check if your municipality pre-registered.
Starting in 2012, when it first entered the EU's transparency register, Facebook has been steadily intensifying its lobbying efforts within European institutions.
A mobile app aimed at informing citizens about the EU has so far been downloaded some 80,000 times. However, no data is kept on how often users opened the app after downloading it.
Henrik Hololei, director-general for Mobility and Transport at the EU commission, riled against "old-fashioned, totally non-future-oriented taxi companies".
Marleen Stikker, a veteran of several EU 'expert groups', is fighting the idea that the EU's adoption of self-driving technology is inevitable. "We have no idea yet," she warns.
Companies like the Boston Consulting Group, Google and Uber are pushing the EU to join the race for autonomous (self-driving) cars. But one key question is missing from the debate: should we?
Secretariat-general of the European Commission decides that information redacted by directorate-general Communications Networks, Content and Technology should have been made public.
The commission heavily redacted documents released to EUobserver because they were reportedly 'out of scope'. Transparency campaigner Helen Darbishire says however the information was "clearly directly relevant to the request".
Political groups in the European Parliament are split about how to vote for a directive that would reform the EU's copyright regime - amid warnings that freedom of expression and creators' rights are at risk.
National governments secured a one-year extension for publishing plans to make radio frequencies available for mobile communications - but some were nevertheless unable to meet the deadline.
Director of Electronic Communications Networks and Services Anthony Whelan says in an internal document that he wanted to eliminate "possible criticisms" and "marginalise questions".
The implementation of a 2016 cybersecurity directive - meant to protect vital services - is facing delays.
The European Parliament decided to take more time studying proposed changes to the EU's copyright regime, amidst fears of 'upload filters' - and accusations of scaremongering.
There is not a single European company among the world's top 10 computer hardware companies. Within the EU, Germany and Sweden rank among world leaders, but Bulgaria and Slovakia among the worst-performing developed nations.
If the EU continues to over-regulate AI, its AI systems will fail to compete on a global scale and the technology's long-term future, for better or worse, will be shaped by the United States and China.
Finance ministers of the EU's three Nordic countries have urged partners to shelve plans to tax large corporations for their digital turnover. The digital economy should be taxed where value is created, they say.
The new EU privacy rules are touted as a global 'gold standard' - but Mexico's former data commissioner warns some nations are far from ready.
The 'right to be forgotten' will become enshrined in EU law on Friday, but it is not yet clear to what extent it will apply. Will the EU's law determine how the internet looks globally?
At least 11 European political parties, two EU agencies, and the Nordic Council have a controversial tracking pixel on their website.
A German MEP who steered the EU general data protection law through the European Parliament says the Facebook chief was only beginning to realise his firm's impact on people's privacy.
Cybersecurity is a core element of Europe's strategy to become a global leader in digital technologies and a secure place for its citizens, write EU commissioner Jyrki Katainen and expert Jarno Limnell.
On 25 May, a new general data protection regulation will apply. Data breaches that happened before that date, but were covered up, can be fined under the new regulation.
The European Commission has scheduled a phone call with Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg.
'Overall, I think regulations like the GDPR are very positive,' said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg about the EU's new data protection regulation.
If the EU makes platforms liable for what their users post, then throughout Europe, the threat of fines will pressure platforms to delete all dubious content, raising the likelihood that legal content will be removed too, stifling public debate.
You wouldn't leave a box of your most prized possessions and private information in an unlocked box in the middle of the street, so why are so many people casual about their online information?
Germany aims to pass new laws on social media after revelations that Facebook data was used to manipulate US voters, while the EU Commission is asking the company to give information about data breaches.
EU justice commissioner Vera Jourova wants to secure compatible rules with the US when it comes to granting police access to people's personal data stored in other countries. But governance issues may complicate those efforts.
The European Commission believes that digital businesses are different. But their proposals for a three percent digital turnover tax are based on populist ideas and are a poor basis for public policy.
